Ciphering device



Patented. Aug. 22, 1922..

INVEN'EOR Ki] 1% ATTORNEY uNnT-srars ANn'rELEeRArH comrammn ooRr ona'rIoN or NEW YORK,

crrnname :onvrcza J aces 5e.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, RALPH, siding at Larchmont, in the county of Westchester and State ofNew York, have invented certain Improvements in Ciphering Devices, of which the following is a specification.

This invention .relates to a device for enciphering and deciphering messages and more particularly to a device of this character which is adapted for use with messages prepared by printing telegraph mechanism.

Arrangements have been developed for enciphering and deciphering messages by the use of printing telegraph equipment in which arrangement the characters of a mes: sage, which are in code formation, are com.- bined in effect with the code combinations of one or more perforated key tapes, and the resulting code combinations make up the characters of the enciphered message. .To

decipher such a messagethe code combinations representing characters of the enciphered message are combined at the receiving station with the code combinations of two cipher tapes identical to tho% used at the sending station, and the resulting code combinations will represent the characters of the original message. Such anarrangement is illustrated in detail in the U. S. Patent No. 1,320,908, issued November 4, 1919, to R. D. Parker. In this device the code com,- binations of the enciphered or deciphered' message may be recorded on a perforated tape, or the corresponding characters may be printed, ifdesired, and the -message may then be transmitted in any desired manner to its destination.

One of the well known codes utilized w1th messages prepared by printing telegraph equipment is the Baudot code, in which each character is represented by a combination of five markings or spacing impulses.

which 26 are used to designate letters of the alphabet, and the remaining 6 combinations In a five unit code of this sort g1 there are 32 difl'e'rent code combinations, of

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Au 22,1922 1 Application ma July 2\a 1920. Serial no. 398,392. y I I messages, these six stunt signals will ordinarily appear at lrregular intervals in the RALPH n. r'rnncn, or ranofnmon'r, NEW ORK; jas'srenoa '1O some TELEPHONE above mentioned method of 'enciphering E. PIERCE, re-

printed form of the message. The presence of these stunt si nals cannot be avoided by omittlng them om the original message and key tapes, because of the fact that they "are produced by various combinations of letters in the message with letters in the key f tapes. If an ordinaryprinter is'used tore; cord the cipher messages" prepared inthi's} 7 manner/the result would be a badly confused message due to the fact thatthe-stunt 'sig- 7 nals occur at other than-flthe-p'roper times.

Furthermore, if numerals or punctuation marks .were utilized. to represent the stunt signals in the printed-form of the message,- the message in this form would beundesir-v able for transmission over commercial telegraph or cable lines due to the fact that mixed groups containing both letters and numerals or punctuation marks are not accepted for transmission by cable, and when transmitted. over land-lines each such group is counted as .fi've words. If numerals orpunctuation marks were used for designating stunt signals in'the printed form of the cipher message, these numerals or punctuation marks might appear frequently in the enciphered message and-the charge for transmitting such amessageovera commercial line would be, exceedingly high. -'A(':-

cordingly, it is the general purposev of this invention to provide arrangements forpreparing the cipher messages in a des rable form for transmlsslon' over commercial lines, and this is accomplished substantially by providing means for eliminating ithe' stunt signals from the printed-form of the message. Other objects and features of the invention-will appear more fully in the detailed description thereof hereinafter ven. a

The method of enciphering the original message is accomplished by the arrangements of the invention in the following manner:

When the characters of the key tapes and the message tape combine 'so as to produce a stunt signal combination, arrangements are provided so that the'message tape will be stopped while the keytapes are advanced me or more steps until they combine with be same character of the message tape to )roduce a code combination which is not a :tunt signal. This combination will then )e printed and all of the tapes will be tepped ahead in the normal manner. In rrder to be able to decipher the message, t is necessary to designate the points vhere the message tape has been stopped. or this urpose, one letter may be chosen s a designating letter and the apparatus 5 arranged so that each time the key tapes re stepped ahead while the message tape 9 stopped, this designating letter will be minted in the enciphered message. In the rrangements of this invention the desig-,

ating letter has been chosen as the letter E, although it is understood that the inention might be so arranged that any other :tter might be'utilized for this purpose. Vhen the cipher tapes and the message tape )mbine to produce the signal combination 'hich normally represents the designating :tter, this combination should be treated s a stunt signal; in other words, the meslge tape should stop and the key tapes iould he stepped ahead.

The method of deciphering the message is :complished by the arrangements of this wention in the following manner:

The deciphering operator should perforate L a tape the characters of the received pher message, including the designating tter whenever it occurs. The decipher- .g apparatus is arranged so that it will mbine this message tape with two cipher pes and print the deciphered message. It also arranged so that all characters prolced by combining the designating letter the cipher message tape with the key pes will be discarded; in other words, the inter will fail to operate when the desnating letter in the cipher message tape LSSBS through the message transmitter. By cluding the designating letter in the en- )hered message tape, compensation is ade for the relative shifting of the key pes with respect to the original message pc in enciphering and accordingly, when e enciphered message tape is recombined .th the key tapes at the deciphering sta-. n theappearance of the designating lettherein at every point where the origi- 1 relationship between key tape and mesge tape was changed will serve to restore id relationship. 7 The invention may be more fully under- )od from the following description, tother with the accompanying drawing, in llCl'). is illustrated a preferred arrange- :nt ofi, the invention. In the drawing are is shown a transmitter A for the message tape and two transmitters B and C for the-cipher tapes. The cipher transm1tters control the cipher relays 11, 12, 13, 14 and 15. The message transmitter A controls the transmitter relays 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10. The transmitter relays and the cipher relays in turn control the selecting relays 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5, upon'which will be set up the code combinations resulting from a combination of the message tape with the cipher tapes. As this method of operation is fully described in the aforementioned patent to R. D. Parker, no further description thereof will be given. The selecting relays 1,

2, 3, 4 and 5 in turn control the selecting magnets 16, 17, 18, 19 and 20 of a printer D, which may be of an desirable type Well known in the art. A control key K and a starting key K are also provided.

Associated with the arrangement are the release control relay 23, the E relay 22, and the control relay 21, the function of which relays will be pointed out later. -fIn order to control the sequence of operation of the apparatus, there is provided a distributor 25..

With the control key Knot operated, the printer D will record all the combinations setup on the selecting relays. The operation of the arrangements under! these conditions is as follows:

When the start key K is operated, a circuit will be closed for operating the distributor start magnet 24. This will release the brush arm of the distributor 25, which will rotate continuously over the segments of the distributor. When the brush crosses segment 26, a circuit will be closed from battery, through the brush, segment 26, right hand contact of control key K, winding of release control relay 23, to the lower armature of selecting relay 1 and also through the lower back contact of E relay 22 to the armatures of selecting relays 2, 3, 4 and 5. If any of the selecting relays are operated at this time, the circuit will be extended through their contacts and through the windings of the corresponding printer selecting magnets 16, 17, 18, 19, and 20 to ground. The closing of this circuit will operate one or more of the selecting magnets, and also the release control relay 23. The release control relay 23 will close a circuit over conductor 30 for starting the operation of the printer. The printer will operate v in the normal manner and record the character corresponding to the combination set up on the selecting relays. The E relay 22 cannot operate as its circuit is open at the lefthand contacts of the control key K. The control relay 21 cannot operate unless the E relay 22 operates. When the brush crosses segment 28, the stepping magnets of all three tape transmitters, A, B and C, will be operated thus stepping the tapes ahead, and when the brush passes ofi of relays and selecting relays. The combina-' tion thus set up on the selecting relays will be printed on the next revolution of the brush arm These operations will be repeated as long as the brush arm is allowed to revolve.

To eliminate the stunt signals in enciphering a message, the control key should be thrown so as tooperate its lefthand contacts. This will connect battery E relay 22 and through the winding of the E relay 22 to the upper contactsof the selecting relays. These contacts are so wired that they will operate E relay 22 only when a combination representing a stunt signal or the letter E, -(the designating letter) is set up on the selecting re-.

lays. The circuits for operating the E relay 22 may be traced through the contacts of the selecting relays as follows:

1. Letter shift signal andfigure shift signal (+i From E relay 22'through the front contacts of selecting relays 5,4, 2 and 1 to ground.

2. Blank tape signal d line feed signal From E relay 22 through the upper back contacts of relays 5 and 4 and middle backcontacts of relays 3 and 1 to ground.

3. Letter E From E relay 22 through upper back contacts of relays 5 and 4, and middle back' contacts of relays 3 and 2, and middle front contact of relay 1 to ground.

4. Space signal (-I').

From E relay 22 through upper back contact of relays 5 and 4,'upper front con-.

tact of relay 3, and upper back contacts of relays 2 and 1 to ground. g 5. Carriage return signal From E relay 22 through upper back contact of relay 5, upper front contact of relay 4,.and upper back contacts of relays 3, 2 and 1 to ground. 6. A study of the circuit will show that for all other combinations the circuit-of.

E relay 22 will be open.

' As long as no stunt signal or letter E combinations are set up on the selecting 'relays, the apparatus will operate as previously described. If, however, a combination representing the letter E or a stunt signal is set up on the selecting relays, the E relay 22 will operate. Under these conditions the circuit arrangements will oper-- ate in the following manner:.

When the brush crosses segment 26, battery will be connected through the right hand contacts of the control key K, windts ing of release control relay 23, lower armaeeaeee to the tureand front contact of E relay 22 and winding of selecting magnet 16 to ground.

This will operate selecting magnet 16 and print the letter E,

trol relay 21 will be short circuited and re- 7 leased. a

When the ke tapes step ahead, a new combination wi be formed with the same letter in the message tape. This new com-- binationwill ordinarily be difi'erent from the previous combination and usually it will not be a stunt signal. Cases will arise, however, where a stunt signal combination is' again produced. In the former case, E relay 22 will be released and the apparatus will operate in a normal manner (as de-- scribed previously), but -in the latter case E relay 22 will be operated when the brush revolves a ain and the printer will print the letter again and the key tapes will step forward to form a new combination with the same letter, these operations being repeated until a combination which is not a stunt signal isproduced;

The apparatus of the inventlon may also be used for deciphering and printing the messages coming in'in enciphered form. As

previously pointed out, the received cipher message should first be converted into perforated tape form by means ofa keyboard perforator. This tape should be 'run' through the message transmitter A with the control key thrown so as to operate its right I hand contacts. This-will cut the battery off the E relay 22, and therefore the E lay 22 and the control relay 23 will not operate. It will also connect the lefthand contacts of the transmitter relays6,'7, 8, 9 and I 10 in series withthe, conductor from .segment 26 to the release control relay 23. The left hand contacts of these transmitter relays are so wired that they .open the circuit of the release control relay 23 whenever.

the combination representing the letter E is set up on them. Accordingly whenever the letter E in the' cipher message tape passes through the transmitter, the printer will fail to :ompensation is made in deciphering for a transmitter includin a cipher tape, a 66 ;he relative shifting of the key tapes and nessage' tape which takes place in encipherng, let it be assumed that in the original nessage tape there were four characters or :ode combinations. Let it be assumed that n combining with the key tapes the first two :haracters combine normally to produce en- :iphered characters, then in the original message tape, the cipher tapes, and the en- :iphered message, there would be two char- .cters apiece. Suppose now that the third :haracter in the original message tape in :ombining with the key tapes should pro luce a stunt combination. There would hen be produced in the enciphered message he designating letter and the key tapes rould be stepped ahead. The third character vould then combine with the fourth characer of the key tapes to produce an encihered character. There would then be 1188 characters in the original message and our characters in the cipher tapes and the aciphered message. Let the fourth character f the original message tape now combine 'ith the fifth character of the key tapes to roduce an enciphered combination. The esult would be that from four characters of 1e original message there would be an eniphered message with five characters, one of hich was the designating letter, and five of 1e characters of the key tapes would have een utilized. To decipher, the enciphered ipe of five characters would be combined 'ith key tapessimilar to those utilized be- )re. The first two characters of the enciphred message would be recombined with the rst two characters of the key tapes in the ormal manner to produce the first two iaracters of the original message. The iird character of the enciphered message ould be the designating letter and nothing ould happen except that both the encipherl tape and the key tapes would be stepped lead. The fourth character of the enciphed tape would now combine with the )urth character of the key tape and would ve the third character of the original mesge. The fifth characters of enciphered .pc and key tapes would then give the |urth character of the original message. nder these conditions the apparatus will itomatically decipher the message and the inter will record a correct copy of the 'iginal message. Vhile the invention has been disclosed in rtain specific arrangements which have sen deemed desirable, it is understood that is capable of embodiment in many and idely varied forms without departing from e spirit of the invention as defined in the ended claims.

hat is claimed is: 1. A transmitter including a message tape,

plurality of selecting re ays, means for com-' ining the code combinations of said mes sage tape with the code combinations of said cipher tape and setting up the resulting code combinations on said selecting relays, said resulting code combinations representing characters and stunt signals, a printer normally controlled by said selecting relays, and means operating whenever said resulting code combination represents a \stunt signal, said means when operated causing said printer to print an arbitrarily chosen character and causing said cipher tape to be stgpped ahead.

2. transmitter including a message tape, a transmitter including a cipher tape, a plurality of selecting relays, means for combining the code combinations of said message tape with the code combinations of said cipher tape and setting up the resulting code combinationson said selecting relays, saidv resulting code combinations representing characters and stunt signals, a printer including a plurality of selecting magnets normally controlled by said selecting relays, a-relay associated with said magnets and said selecting relays and operating whenever the resulting code combination set up on said selecting relays represents a stunt signal, said relay when operated causin said printer magnets to operate in an arbitrarilychosen manner, operating circuits for advancing the tapes of said transmitters, and means controlled by said relay when operated for holding open the operating circuit of said message transmitter tape.

3. A transmitter including a message tape, a plurality'of transmitter relays upon which the code combinations of said message tape may be set up, a transmitter including a cipher tape, a plurality of cipher relays upon which the code combinations of said cipher tape may be set up, a plurality of selecting relays, the operating circuits of which are controlled over the contacts of said transmitter relays and said cipher relays, a printer controlled by said selecting relays, and a controlling relay for starting said printer in operation, the operating circuit of said controlling relay being so associated with the contacts of said transmitter relays that whenever a certain arbitrarily chosen code combination is set up on said transmitter relays said operating circuit will be held open and said printer will fail to operate.

4. In a ciphering device in which the code combinations of a message tape are combined in effect with the code combinations of a key tape andthe resulting code combinations forming the ciphered message are utilized to control a printer, the method of eliminating certain signals from the printed form of the ciphered message which consists in automatically stopping the normal operation of said printer whenever the resu1ting code combination represents one of said signals, automatically changing the relationship between said message tape and said key tape to produce a diiferent resulting code combination, and automatically recording said change in relationship in the printedform of said message.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my 

